“Marketing Myopia”

Years ago, Theodore Levitt, a marketing professor at the Harvard Business School, published a popular article entitled “Marketing Myopia.” Many people in business today, despite not having read the article, subscribe to the idea. It is that companies should define themselves in terms of broad industry perspective rather than narrow product position. To take Levitt’s favorite examples, railroad companies were to see themselves in the transportation business, oil companies in the energy business.

The idea was a good one—like all good ideas, within reason. Why not open up perspectives, beyond existing positions: fast food beyond hamburgers (McDonald’s), delivering packages beyond selling books (Amazon), offering unassembled kitchens beyond unassembled tables (IKEA). Just so long as the competencies of the company are respected.

This year’s conference “Politics, Corporations and Society: New Questions and New Answers from the Old World” was hosted by San Telmo Business School and featured presidents of the leading European companies, as well as academics of prestigious institutions and social leaders.

Plans for a summit to develop a vision for Cleveland’s future got underway on Thursday, Dec. 13, with a working session that David Cooperrider, a professor at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, called a “cooperative and inclusive effort to help build trust and develop a shared vision for Cleveland’s future.”

We would like to thank Sanjay Sharma and, of course, the University of Vermont for this successful and stimulating meeting. They were, without a doubt, great hosts. Also, thanks to Stuart Hart and Paul Laudicina who, together with Sanjay, worked tirelessly to make this an unforgettable meeting. We leave some of the images of the … Continued

Happy Holi! It is easy to be swept up by the colorful, joyful, and raucous celebrations as Indians mark the Hindu holiday of Holi this week. Walking through the streets of Delhi during the festivities, it struck me that Holi is more than a holiday.

The lives of those living in Latin American have evolved dramatically over the last couple of decades. From a starting point of centralised economies led by left-wing dictators, most societies have ended up embracing political and economic freedom.